Hapag-Lloyd Welcomes "Berlin Express" - the First of its Hamburg Express Class Ships
German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd on Monday welcomed into its fleet the âBerlin Expressâ, the first ship of its new Hamburg Express class. At an event attended by some 300 guests from business and politics, naming patron Elke Büdenbender performed the ceremonial christening of the ship at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (Athabaskakai) in the Port of Hamburg. Among the guests were Peter Tschentscher, the First Mayor of Hamburg, and Daniel Günther, the Minister PresidentâŠ
Germany Approves Cosco Stake in Hamburg Port Terminal
Port logistics firm HHLA said on Wednesday the German government has cleared the purchase by Chinaâs Cosco of a 24.9% stake in a container terminal in the sea port of Hamburg, amid a political row over Chinese investment in the German economy.A spokesperson for the German government said in a statement that Berlin had informed HHLA and Cosco that their reworked deal was compliant with a cabinet decision in the fall of last year that limits the ownership of Chinese state firm Cosco in the terminal to less than 25%.The deal was also in line with Berlin declaring the terminal, known as Tollerort,
HHLA Urges German Gov't to Approve Cosco Investment in Hamburg port
German logistics firm HHLA on Thursday called on the German government to uphold its responsibility towards the port of Hamburg and finally approve an agreed investment of China's shipping firm Cosco.HHLA has been waiting for a final go-ahead from the economy ministry for 18 months and now expects to hear back soon, Chief Executive Angela Titzrath said. "We believe we have answered all the questions," she said at a presentation of HHLA's 2022 results. HHLA had implemented all the ministry's requirements for the contract with Cosco.
Third Floating LNG Terminal Arrives in Germany
A floating terminal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) arrived in the port of Brunsbuettel on Friday, the third such vessel to start up in recent weeks as Germany rushes to diversify away from former top supplier Russia.The Hoegh Gannet floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) arrived at the Brunsbuettel Elbehafen port near Hamburg.It will allow LNG tankers to land and their cargoes to be regasified and fed into the country's grid."Floating LNG terminals enable the import of gas and thus strengthen Germany's security of supply," said Markus Krebber, chief executive of RWE RWEG.DE, which has spearheaded the project."The strongâŠ
Inside the Chinese Port Deal that Divided the German Government
The German government has become divided over a deal, agreed last month, which saw Chinese conglomerate Cosco invest in the Port of Hamburg. The deal had been in the works since September 2021 and was championed by the chancellor (and Hamburgâs former mayor), Olaf Scholz.Scholzâs coalition partners have been vocal in criticising the deal. Chief among them is Robert Habeck, Greens member and Scholzâs economics minister, who expressed his fear that Germany was becoming dependent on Chinese business.
COSCO Shipping to Buy $2.7B Port Assets from Parent. Enters $2.9B Shipbuilding Deal
COSCO Shipping Holdings Co Ltd said on Monday it has agreed to buy port assets from its parent for an aggregate 19.7 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) as it aims to build a global digital supply chain for its customers. The Chinese shipping group said it would buy 14.9% of Shanghai International Port (Group) from its indirect controlling parent China COSCO Shipping Corp Ltd for 18.9 billion yuan, and a 3.2% stake in Guangzhou Port for 778.7 million yuan. COSCO Shipping Holdings alsoâŠ
Germany's Scholz Defends Chinese Port Sale, Stresses Need to Diversify Ties
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday stressed the need for Europe to diversify its relations to ensure it is not dependent on any one nation, a day after he pushed through a decision to let a Chinese firm invest in a terminal at the country's largest port.Businesses must ensure that they have multiple supply chains to obtain their goods and that their investments are not concentrated on just one country, added Scholz in a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens."Those who had not considered this carefully enough for a long time are doing it now in lig
Rejecting Chinese Bid Would Put Hamburg Port at Disadvantage, Mayor Says
Germany would put its port of Hamburg at a competitive disadvantage if it quashed a bid from China's Cosco to buy a stake in a container operator, the port city's mayor said.A rejection would be "a one-sided, competition-distorting disadvantage for Hamburg compared to Rotterdam and Antwerp, where Cosco already owns terminal shares," Mayor Peter Tschentscher told Reuters."In order to keep up with international competition, it must also be possible for shipping companies to participate in terminals in Hamburg if this makes business sense," Tschentscher added.Economy Minister Robert Habeck said i
Greenpeace Protests Against Ships Carrying Russian Fossil Fuels
Greenpeace activists have taken to the sea to protest against tankers carrying Russian fossil fuels to Europe.Traveling in rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB), kayaks and as swimmers, protesters from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands and Germany on Sunday went in front of supertankers Waikiki and SFC Baltica in the Baltic Sea, displaying banners with âOil Fuels Warâ as Greenpeace calls on Europe to reject and ban Russian fossil fuel imports to weaken the attack on Ukraine.Mads Flarup ChristensenâŠ
Tech File: Battery-buffered Diesel-electric Hybrid Drive Proves Value on German FiFi Boats
Hamburg Fire Fighting Vessels Dresden and Prag sport diesel-electric hybrid propulsion and battery systems from EST-Floattech.After the first 100 days of operation, operator Flotte Hamburg is reports it is satisfied with the two new firefighting ships Dresden and Prague: "Due to the full approval for the use of the EST battery system 'Green Orca 1050' on inland waterway vessels, which was already available at the start of the project, the first hybrid ships of the Hamburg fleetâŠ
Russian Billionaire's Yacht Stuck in Hamburg Shipyard
A luxury yacht linked to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who faces EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is sitting in a shipyard in the German port of Hamburg and local authorities said there were no plans to deliver it to its owner.Hamburg authorities denied that they had seized the more-than-500-foot (150 meter) Dilbar superyacht, which boasts a 25-meter swimming pool and is worth nearly $600 million. Forbes had reported on Wednesday that it had been undergoingâŠ
Port of Hamburg Building New Shore Power Facilities
To achieve the goals of its clean air plan and reach an important milestone towards climate neutrality in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the cityâs legislature has commissioned Hamburg Port Authority â HPA to supervise planning and construction of shore-based power facilities at the Burchardkai, Tollerort and Eurogate container terminals, as well as Steinwerder and HafenCity cruise terminals.In expanding shore power supply, the Port of Hamburg is setting a clear signal of greater protection for the environmentâŠ
Port of Hamburg Sees Volatile Transport Chains for Rest of Year
Europe's third largest harbor, the German Port of Hamburg, reported a 2.9% hike in sea cargo in the first nine months of 2021 on Tuesday but warned that global transport chains would remain volatile for the rest of the year.Global trade has been marred by logjams in container ports caused by disruptions from unexpected demand spurts, labour shortages and traffic snarl-ups amid the coronavirus pandemic.The crisis has weighed particularly heavily on Germany, which is Europe's largestâŠ
Electric Firefighting Vessels Delivered in Hamburg
The Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group said it handed over twin fireboats to Flotte Hamburg, a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) tasked with implementing low-emission shipping in the city.With 315 kWh of battery capacity, the state-of-the-art, plug-in hybrid vessels are capable of extended, fully-electric, emissions-free operations in and around the Port of Hamburg. Prag will be operated by Hamburgâs fire service while Dresden will support the HPA, the fire service and other third parties.The vessels, classed as Damen Fire-Fighting Vessels 3508, are completely new designs.
Two New Fireboats Christened in Hamburg
The two new fire boats of the Flotte Hamburg were ceremonially christened Dresden and Prag on September 23 by their two sponsors, Dresden's Second Mayor Annekatrin Klepsch and Prague's City Councillor for Culture Hana TĆeĆĄtíková. In the presence of Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher and CEO of Hamburg Port Authority Jens Meier, the ships then went on a short sea trial in the Port of Hamburg.Mayor Dr. Peter Tschentscher said, "The new fire boats Prag and Dresden ensure safety in the port and can run emission-free with their plug-in hybrid drives.
Europa 2âs Cold Ironing Connection Certified by DNV GL
Ultra-luxury cruise ship Europa 2 has had its cold ironing connection certified by classification society DNV GL following testing of the undisrupted use and compatibility of the shore-to-ship power system in the Port of Hamburg.While idled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Europa 2 has been using cold ironing at the Cruise Center Altona in Hamburg for the past 30 days, reportedly marking the first time a cruise ship has been using cold ironing for a long period of time.Europa 2, with a maximum of 500 passengers requires 2.2 megawatts (MW) of power per hour during its lay time.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Brings its Fleet Home
âStay at homeâ is the global message of the moment. The fleet of the Hamburg-based cruise company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which would normally be sailing the seven seas, is now heading for the waters of its home port. The expedition ship, the HANSEATIC nature, will be the first to return and is expected to arrive in Hamburg, Germany, on April 20. Its sister ship, the international HANSEATIC inspiration, and the two luxury ships, the EUROPA and the international EUROPA 2, are also now on their way back to Hamburg.
Port of Hamburg Says Containers Are In Good Supply
The Port of Hamburg, responding to reports of bottlenecks in the supply of empty containers, conducted a flash poll this week asking shipping lines about the current situation and found that shipping lines see no appreciable scarcity of equipment in Hamburg and other German seaports, with no shortages expected to arise.According to Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), the shipping lines mentioned several factors that provide for a stable supply of empty equipment. Most shipping companies plan their disposition of empty boxes about three to four weeks in advance.
AAL Kembla's Maiden Call at Hamburg Port
Port of Hamburg welcomed the âAAL Kemblaâ on her first call in Germanyâs largest universal port. She berthed at C. Steinwegâs multi-purpose Süd-West-Terminal.AAL Shipping is deploying the heavy-lift/project cargo ship on its new monthly liner service connecting ports in Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia. The service is overseen by AALâs Hamburg office, opened in 2012, which also offers tailormade tramp chartering shipping to all regions in the world. Built in 2011, the âAAL Kemblaâ is one of the carrierâs second generation A-class multi-purpose, heavy-lift vessels. She is 193.81 meters long and 29.1 meters wide, with a draft of 9.2 meters. The vessel has four shipboard cranes and a maximum lift capacity of 700 tons.
Hapag-Lloyd, HHLA Form Ties
German international shipping and container transportation company Hapag-Lloyd AG and compatriot logistics and transportation company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), will be continuing their close cooperation in Hamburg for another five years.On the basis of this decision, both companies will now be able to make necessary investments and boost their overall competitiveness, said a joint press release.Both parties have also agreed to intensify their collaboration on sustainability-related issues. For example, there are plans to make additional significant reductions in emissions in the Port of Hamburg and to work together to rigorously expand hinterland connections.âWe are very pleased to be able to continue our longstanding, trusting and intensive collaboration.
Hamburg Unveils 1st Phase of Elbe Expansion
Port of Hamburg announced that mega-ships will from now on find it easy to pass through the Elbe fairway.Vessels with a combined width of up to 98 meters can now pass each other in a widened section of the Elbe in Germany known as the âpassing box.â The five-kilometer stretch now has a width of 385 meters, said the Port of Hamburg.âWith the initial fairway widenings of the Elbe, meanwhile completed, we are on a good course, immediately improving the conditions for calls by mega-ships,â said Axel Mattern, Joint CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing. âFor shipping and our port customers, this is really gratifying news for the start of the year.â The holding area at Brunsbüttel has also been completed.
Hamburg Port Defends Service Losses
Germany's largest port, the Port of Hamburg not expecting reduction in container throughput caused by liner service changes announced by Ocean Alliance and Maersk.From April, the Ocean Alliance NEU 5 service handled by EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg â CTH is being transferred to Antwerp, said a press release from the a sea port on the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, 110 kilometres from its mouth on the North Sea."This service will be run by the Ocean Alliance Partner, CMA CGM as FAL 3 with an approximate annual volume of 150,000 TEU," it said.Going forward, according to CMA CGM, the entire container volume carried until now to and from Hamburg by this service will be handled by the five Ocean Alliance liner services continuing to call in Hamburg.
Hamburg Port Orders 2 Fireboats
The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has ordered two more fire-fighting vessels following the delivery of modern fireboat, the "Branddirektor Westphal".As with the previous order, both vessels will be fitted with Schottel thrusters â in this case, two Schottel Rudderpropellers and one Schottel Transverse Thruster. These will enable maximum maneuverability in the restricted fairway of the Port of Hamburg.This mobility is also guaranteed in situations that require fast response times. The special vessels, operated by Flotte Hamburg, a wholly owned subsidiary of the HPA, are currently under construction at Damen Shipyards.Each of the fireboats features two rudder-propellers type SRP 150 L FP (380 kW each) with a propeller diameter of 1.10 m and a transverse thruster type STT 60 FP (100 kW).